Component Efficiency
Calculate the key to profitability
Component efficiency is a biological index of the performance of the cow on the diet in the herd environment. It’s simply measured as the percent of the herd average dry matter intake converted into pounds of milk fat and protein, on a per cow per day basis.
Since a dairy is limited by the number of cows it can house and feed, profitability hinges on housing and feeding a herd that is highly efficient at producing components. High milk production doesn’t always equal profitability. Making your milk more valuable starts by maximizing the amount of fat and protein components in the milk, and how efficiently a cow is producing them.
Component Efficiency Calculator
Cargill successfully feeds thousands of herds by focusing on component efficiency – you could be one of them. Calculate where your herd is at with our interactive tool below!
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The economic return for improvement in component efficiency is enormous since greater than 80% of the milk value is derived from the pounds of milk fat and protein, while diet cost makes up more than 60% of the dairy’s operational costs.
Component efficiency can be improved by increasing component production relative to dry matter intake. Moving a herd’s component efficiency up one percentage point can result in a measurable increase of net milk revenue over feed cost per cow per day.
This Component Efficiency calculator is provided for educational purposes only. Cargill makes no warranties regarding the Component Efficiency Calculator or its results.
Explore Cargill solutions below or contact one of our nutrition experts.
Watch this brief video to learn more about the benefits of managing your component efficiency.
Intrigued? Hear it from the perspectives of our producers and experts
Rumen insights for managing component efficiency
If you’re paid based on pounds of fat and protein shipped then component efficiency is one of the best ways to measure your profitability.
What does it take to produce 7 pounds of components?
Producing high milk yield isn’t easy, but producing milk with high volumes of fat and protein components is even more challenging. Yet there are herds across the country meeting this challenge every day with increasing efficiency. Read this Progressive Dairyman article to hear how these elite herds are efficiently producing seven pounds of components!
Improving Efficiency on Jon-De Farm
To be the best 1450 cow dairy is the goal at Jon-De Farm in Baldwin, Wis. The family farm was started by the Doornink family in 1912 and is managed by Todd Doornink today.